In the early 2000s, Dale Earnhardt Jr didn’t just rule in NASCAR, he also drove straight into America’s biggest television stage. At the height of his fame, one of NASCAR’s most beloved drivers starred in two Super Bowl commercials, both of which ranked in the USA Today’s Ad Meter Top 10.

Dale Jr. and the 2004 Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXXVIII was one of the most thrilling games in the sport’s history. The New England Patriots eked out a narrow victory over the Panthers, and Tom Brady was the undoubted MVP. But for the NASCAR fans, it was Dale Jr. who took all the attention. 

The first ad he starred in was for Budweiser, where he drops a woman off at an airport and realizes that she left her lipstick in his car. He is then seen racing in his car with a super speed to arrive at the same time as the plane lands at its destination. With that signature charm, he gives her the lipstick back. The ad ends with some humor as she reveals that it wasn’t her lipstick after all, busting Junior! This ad was ranked 7th.

The next ad was for Nextel, where Dale Jr is seen driving his iconic #8 car on the football field, playing offense and scoring a touchdown, eventually leading to some burnouts. This was ranked in 10th; however, was closer to NASCAR.

After over two decades since these commercials were aired, they are still remembered for their creativity and witty appearance. Although Earnhardt doesn’t appear in many commercials now, he is still one of the most popular faces in the sport. But those years were his peak.

He won the Most Popular Driver Award consecutively between 2003 and 2017, cementing his place in the sport even after retirement from full-time racing.

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What made Earnhardt so popular?

What set Dale Earnhardt Jr. apart was his ability to be authentic in an era when NASCAR was aggressively pushing drivers into the mainstream. His soft-spoken demeanor and emotional openness got him closer to fans.

Moreover, his performance in the Busch Series (now called the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) was quite remarkable. Even though he never won the championship in the Cup Series, Dale Jr. proved to be a competitive driver, winning marquee events like the Daytona 500 multiple times.

Then came his family history. His father, Dale Earnhardt, was one of the most remarkable drivers the sport has ever had. He won the Cup Series championship a whopping seven times, a record that is yet to be broken. Moreover, he was only the second driver to have ever done it since Richard Petty. His success had already paved the way for his son to make a strong impression in racing.

Even after stepping away from full-time racing in 2017, Earnhradt Jr’s influence hasn’t faded. His transition into broadcasting with NBC, combined with the popularity of his Dale Jr. Download podcast, has kept him relevant within the fanbase. He, more or less, represents NASCAR’s most iconic drivers in some scenarios.

In many ways, those Super Bowl commercials in 2004 weren’t just ad promotions, they were proof that Dale Earnhardt Jr. had transcended NASCAR and become a mainstream American icon.